Next to You (Someday I'll Be)
by Kasey Sanada
Summary: On a trip to Odaiba, Japan, Shiro Amada meets and falls for Lauren Izumi, and 3 years later, during the war between the Federation and Zeon, they meet again, but this time as enemies. (AU)


(Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team does not belong to me. It belongs to the awesome people at Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, and Bandai. The only thing I own is my character Lauren.)  
  
Cecily: Ohayo minna! I can't believe how many stories I've written in such a short time! This fic is going to focus on The 08th MS Team, one of my favorite storylines from the whole series. I'm going to try and stay on the original storyline, except there will be no Aina, not because I don't like her, but because of my new character. Also, because I was getting so much crap for Lauren being fourteen, I put her up to sixteen. And if you don't like it (gives all those whiners a rasberry)  
  
Next To You (Someday I'll Be)  
by Cecily Ronah  
  
Episode One: Chance Encounter  
  
"Woohoo! We are free at last! No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers ugly looks!"  
"Kenji, you dumbass!" Akira tried to hit his friend over the head, but Kenji dodged, laughing. Akira looked over at Shiro. "Hey, Amada, aren't you going to do something?"  
"Oh, lighten up Akira," Shiro said, smiling. "He's just excited."  
Hoo, yeah!" Kenji exclaimed. "We are offically out of college!"  
Shiro laughted as Kenji dance around the fountain they were by in downtown Odaiba, Japan. He had to admit, it was nice not having to worry about final exams anymore, and to celebrate their graduating college, Shiro, Kenji, and Akira decided to spend a week on Earth. Shiro couldn't get enough of the beauty that surrounded him. This was his first time ever on Earth, and he was going to make the most of it.  
"Hey! Let's go check out the skaters over there! Maybe we'll go find some chicks!"  
Akira groaned. "Is that all you think about Kenji?"  
"Come on, Akira! You can't tell me you aren't intrested!" Kenji shot back.  
While Akira and Kenji argued, Shiro walked ahead to the skating rink. He knew better not to get into the middle of their fights. It was suicide. When he got to the rink, he leaned on the railing and watched the rollerbladers. After a while his eyes started to close when they snapped back open at the sound of a voice.  
"Hey Kari, check this out!" A girl in a orange tanktop and shorts with long red hair tied back started spinning in a circle, faster and faster before jumping off the ground, continuing to spin as she flipped backwards. She landed back on the rink, turning her left leg slightly so not to fall.  
The girl known as Kari clapped happily. "That was great Lauren! You've gotten so much better!"  
Shiro couldn't seem to take his eyes off of girl in his sight. She had to be the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on.  
Akira and Kenji walked up beside Shiro. "Hey Shiro," Akira said, "What are you looking at?"  
"Or rather who?" Kenji said grinning. He looked over at Lauren and his mouth dropped. "Wow, she's a babe."  
Akira nodded as he too noticed. "She sure is."  
Shiro said nothing as he continued to look at Lauren. 'God, she's beautiful....'  
  
"Hey Lauren, come here."  
Lauren blinked before she skated over to Kari. "What is it?"  
"That guy with the blue hair is looking at you," Kari said, giggling.  
"Where?" Lauren turned her head and found herself looking into the most beautiful dark blue eyes she had ever seen. She blinked and felt herself blush as she continued to look at him. 'Oh my god,' Lauren thought to herself. 'He's gorgous!"  
Kari pushed Lauren foreward slightly. "Go over there and talk to him!"  
"What? Are you crazy? No way!" Lauren protested. "For all we know, he could be looking at someone else." Just the thought of that made her flush.  
Kari grinned as she saw her friend get slightly jealous. "Oh come on! You know he was looking at you." Taking her hand, Kari led Lauren towards the guys.  
  
"Hey, she's come this way!" Kenji said, nudging Shiro and grinning. "Looks like you're getting lucky tonight."  
"Kenji!" Akira scolded. "Shiro isn't like that! That's more your style."  
"Hey!"  
Shiro rolled his eyes. 'Not another fight.' He turned to Kenji and Akira. "Will you guys grow up?" he snapped. He froze when he heard a soft laugh. He turned and saw the beautiful girl and her friend standing in front of them. "H...hi," Shiro stammered, not believing that she was in front of him. Kenji and Akira looked at each other and grinned before snaking off.  
Lauren blushed. "Ohayo," she said softly. Kari smiled before she turned and quietly left.  
"My name's Shiro Amada." Shiro held out his hand to Lauren. "What's yours?"  
"Lauren Izumi," the girl replied, placing her hand in Shiro's and smiled brightly.  
'Even her smile is beautiful,' Shiro thought. "Lauren, this might sound a little foreward, since we just met and all, but would you like to have lunch with me?"  
"Sure , since our friends have apparently left us," Lauren pointed out, still smiling.  
Shiro turned and sure enough, Kenji and Akira were gone. Turning back to Lauren, he said, "I guess it'll just be the two of us then. How about it?"  
Lauren laughed. "Let me get my shoes."  
  
"So, how were you able to do that flip earlier?" Shiro asked as he took a drink of his soda.  
"It really isn't that difficult," Lauren explained, stopping to take a bite of her hamburger. After she swallowed, she continued. "You just have to be able to jump high enough in order to do it. I've hurt myself a couple of times doing it. A sprain here, a couple of broken bones there."  
"And you still do it?" Shiro asked, smiling slightly,  
Lauren nodded. "Hai. Skating is something I love to do. I don't think I could ever give it up." She rested her head on her hands and looked at Shiro. "So, what is it that you like to do?"  
"Well, I just finished college, so after I take a short vacation, I'm going to go into engineering."  
Lauren blinked. 'COLLEGE?!? I didn't think he was that old!' she thought. 'Just my luck. What should I do, tell him, or stay quiet about it for now?'  
Shiro noticed that Lauren had gotten a little quiet. "Lauren, are you alright?"  
Lauren looked at Shiro and saw the gentle, concerned look in his eyes. Leaning over, she took his hand into hers and smiled. "I've never been better."  
  
"Thanks again for walking me to the hotel Lauren. I'm going to smack those guys for leaving me and not telling me where it was first."  
Lauren laughed as they stopped in front of Shiro's door. "Don't worry about it. I have a friend just them, only I stop talking to Davis until he apoligizes."  
Shiro laughed also. "Maybe I should do the same." He stopped laughing and looked at Lauren and smiled. "I had a really great time today Lauren. Can I see you again tomorrow?"  
"Of course!" Lauren said happily. "How about we meet at the fountain around eleven?"  
"It's a date." He was surprised that she actually wanted to see him again, but what surprised him next was that Lauren leaned foreward and kissed him on the lips. Neither of them moved for a minute before Luren broke the kiss.  
Blushing slightly, Lauren said softly, "Good night Shiro," before turning and walking away.  
Shiro stood there in shock even after Kenji and Akira came out of the room.  
"Woo, Shiro!" Kenji crowed. "You lucky dog you!"  
"Kenji, will you leave Shiro alone?" Akira snapped.  
"You're just jealous you didn't get her first!" Kenji shot back.  
"Am not!"  
"Are too!"  
Shiro continued to stare out into space even while his friends fought. He didn't expect it to happen so soon. Hell, he didn't expect it to happen at all. But it did.  
He had fallen in love with Lauren.  
  
"I can't believe you're making me do this!"  
"Oh, come on Shiro! Stop being a baby! Rollerblading is not THAT hard!"  
Shiro raised an eyebrow at Lauren. "Did you just call me a baby?"  
Lauren stuck her tounge out. "Listen, just because I broke a couple of bones doesn't mean you are." She batted her midnight black eyes at him. "Just once around the rink, please?"  
Shiro groaned. "Alright, alright! Just stop looking at me like that!" But he smiled as he said that.  
Though they have only known each other for less than a week, they acted like they knew each other for longer than that. Every spare moment they had free they spent with each other, and like Shiro, Lauren had fallen head over heels in love with the blue haired boy. The only thing that still tugged at the back of her mind was what he was going to think when he found out she was only sixteen?  
'I'll worry about it later,' she thought to herself. 'This is Shiro's last day with me and I'm going to enjoy it!'  
"Come on." Lauren took his hand and led hime onto the rink. Almost immediately Shiro landed on his ass hard.  
"Dammit!" Shiro cursed. He glared at Lauren, who was trying hard not to laugh. "You think that was funny?"  
Lauren shook her head, trying to stiffle her giggles. "Gomen ne Shiro, but I never expected you would be one to curse." She helped him stand back up. "Want to try again?"  
"Maybe later." Shiro wobbled slightly before wrapping his arms around Lauren's waist to steady him. He layed his head on top of hers. "I'm going to hate having to leave you tomorrow."  
Lauren blinked, surprised. "I'm going to miss you too," she whispered, buring her face into his chest.  
They were both quiet for a moment before Shiro spoke again. "Could we get off the rink before I fall on my face? The only reason I'm even standing is because I'm holding onto you."  
Lauren laughed as she led Shiro off the rink. "You can be so overdramatic, Shiro."  
Shiro sat down on a bench and started undoing his skates. "I don't see you falling on your butt Lauren-chan." He looked up and grinned at her.  
Lauren blushed at the nickname, but paled slightly at the next sound.  
"Lauren!!"  
Lauren spun around and her eyes widened slightly. "Davis?!?" She saw her best friend Davis Motomiya coming towards her and Shiro. "What are you doing home? I thought you weren't coming back from America for another week!"  
Davis shrugged. "I was able to catch an earlier flight. Geez, from the way you're acting, you're not too happy to see me." He finally noticed who Lauren was with. "Who's this?"  
Lauren took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Davis, this is Shiro Amada. Shiro, this is Davis Motomiya, my best friend I've been telling you about."  
"Nice to finaly meet you Davis," Shiro said, holding out his hand. "Lauren's told me a lot about you."  
"Nice to meet you too," Davis replied, a little confused. "Where did you two meet?"  
"Right here about a week ago."  
"I see...." Davis turned to Lauren. "I need to talk to you about something alone for a minute."  
Before Lauren could protest, Shiro, who finally got his shoes back on, stood. "I'm going to go get something to drink. Do you two want anything?"  
"Water please," Lauren said, smiling softly.  
Davis shook his head. "Iie, arigato." Shiro nodded before turning and going over to the soda machine.  
Davis looked back at Lauren. "He seems nice," he said calmly.  
Lauren nodded. "He is. He's the sweetest guy I've ever met."  
Davis glanced back at Shiro. "How old is he?"  
Laurn raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?" she asked warily.  
"Because he doesn't look fourteen, or anything close to that," Davis pointed out. "And I can tell by the way you're acting you hiding something Lauren."  
Lauren sat down and sighed softly. "He's twenty-one."  
Davis' eyes widened. "WHA..." he started to yell out, but Lauren slapped her hand over his mouth.  
"Please don't say anything," Lauren pleaded. "I can't explain it Davis, but I think I'm in love with him!"  
Davis removed her hand. "Dammit, Lauren, he's five years older than you," he hissed. "Does he even know?"  
Unknown to the both of them, Shiro could hear everything. His eyes widened. 'Lauren's only sixteen?!?'  
"I was going to tell him today," she explained softly. "I just don't know if I can take it when he walks away." She looked at Davis with pleading eyes. "Please don't say anything to him Daisuke."  
Davis let out a sigh. Lauren only called him that when she was being serious. 'She must really love this guy,' he said to himself. "Alright," he finally said. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, Lauren."  
Lauren hugged Davis. "I know, and that's what makes you my best friend." She looked at him and grinned. "That, and Tai was already taken. You were my second choice."  
Davis tugged her hair lightly. "Bite me Izumi."  
Just then Shiro let him know he was back. A hurt look on his face, Shiro said, "Lauren, can we talk, now?"  
Feeling her heart sink, she looked at Davis and said quietly, "I'll see you later, okay?"  
Davis nodded. "Ja na Lauren. Nice meeting you Shiro."  
After Davis had left, Lauren looked up at Shiro, who was still standing. "So, what is it that you want to talk about?"  
"I heard everything, Lauren," Shiro said angerly. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you were sixteen?"  
Lauren winced slightly at the tone of his voice. "At first I didn't know you were older than me," she said quietly, tears threating to break. "But by the time you finally said something about it, I....I...." 'I can't tell him!' she thought as the tears finally spilled. 'What if he doesn't feel the same way?'  
Shiro sat down next to her. "What Lauren?" he asked, a gentle tone taking over the anger.  
"I.... I'm in love with you," she whispered. She covered her face with her hands, not able to look at his face.  
Shiro blinked, not believing what he just heard. 'She.... she loves me?' Gently pulling her hands away from her face and making her look at him, he asked, "Lauren, are you sure about what you're saying?" He wanted to make sure this wasn't some cruel joke Kami was playing on him.  
She slowly nodded her head. "Ha... hai." she said, closing her eyes as tears trickled down her face. She couldn't bare to watch him leave. Her eyes snapped open though when she felt a warm hand on her cheek.  
"Don't cry," he said gently, brusing her tears away. He leaned closer to her. "I'm glad you told me how you feel Lauren, because I love you too." He closed the gap between them and kissed Lauren softly on the lips.  
Lauren closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. She couldn't recall ever being this happy before. Unknown to her, Shiro was thinking the same thing.  
  
"First call for Flight 0123, Odaiba, Japan to Side 2."  
"Ja na Lauren-chan," Akira said as he hugged the girl goodbye.  
"Ja ne Akira," Lauren said, smiling. "It was nice meeting you." She looked at Kenji. "It was great to meet you too, Kenji."  
"Same here. Don't hesitate to come visit, you hear?" Kenji picked up his duffle bag. "Come on Akira, let's go get our seats so Shiro can say goodbye."  
Akira was shocked. "Kenji, I didn't think you had a sensitive bon in your body!"  
"I just don't want to see them suck face."  
"That's crude, Kenji!"  
"Is not!"  
Shiro and Lauren laughted as the two friends argued their way to the plane. "I feel sorry for you," Lauren said, giggling. "Having to deal with that the whole way home."  
"It's not as bad as it looks," Shiro said, shaking his head. He brought his hand up and brushed some hair that fell in Lauren's face. "I'm going to miss you Lauren-chan."  
A tear rlled down her cheek as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his strong chest. "I'm going to miss you too," she whispered.  
Shiro held her for what seemed like an eternity. He didn't want to let her go. Everything about her smelled and felt good. Her hair was as soft as silk and she smelled just like a summer day would be like if it could be bottled.  
"Final call for Flight 0123, Odaiba, Japan to Side 2."  
Shiro made Lauren look at him. "I love you Lauren. Don't ever forget that."  
Fresh tears streamed down Lauren's face. She leaned fore ward and kissed Shiro for a moment before pulling away slightly. "I love you too," she whispered.  
Shiro bent down and picked up his bag. "I'll come visit when I can okay?" He kissed her once more before turning and walking down the ramp. Without realizing it, a tear slowly rolled down his cheek.  
That was the last time he saw her. They had talked a couple of times through letters and over the phone, but after a couple of months they stopped. Shiro tried to find her, but was told by Davis that she had gone somewhere, but wouldn't say where.  
Three years have past since Shiro fell in love with Lauren, and not a day has past that he doesn't think about the beautiful redhead that stole his heart. Now twenty-four and on a ship towards Earth, Shiro is now a 2nd Lieutenant and commander of the Kojima Battalion 08th MS Team for the Earth Federation. As he watched himself move closer to the big ball of water and land, he wondered to himself what Lauren was up to.  
  
Cecily: Thanks for getting through the first chapter! I'm going to keep this short, so please email me at kasey_sanada@hotmail.com and tell me how you like or don't like it. See you next chapter!  
  
Chapter 1 finished March 5, 2002 


End file.
